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Service Standards for Therapeutic Communities 5th Edition

  • The Community of Communities Quality Network of Therapeutic Communities was established in 2002 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Research Unit in partnership with the Association of Therapeutic Communities (ATC) and with a grant from the Community Fund

 

  • In its first year Community of Communities developed the Service Standards for Therapeutic Communities 1st Edition to allow member therapeutic communities (TCs) to benchmark themselves and each other in an annual cycle of self- and peer-review 

 

  • For its most recent 5th edition, an expert advisory group chaired by Dr Rex Haigh, held a workshop to conduct a major revision and overhaul of the Service Standards and devise a simple set of Core Standards which define critical TC structures.  Participants focussed on categorisations, repetition, ambiguous language, omissions and theoretical relevance

 

  • The edited version of the Service Standards was sent to all advisory group members and feedback on this version was compiled and brought for verification at a second advisory group meeting

 

  • Following the publication of the Service Standards for Therapeutic Communities 5th Edition it was agreed that the Service Standards, with the exception of the Core Standards, remain unchanged for three consecutive annual cycles to allow the Community of Communities project team and member TCs to more easily identify year on year quality improvement

 

  • The Service Standards have recently been used by 55 member TCs in the sixth annual cycle of self- and peer-reviews and are also a major component of the Community of Communities NHS and HMP Accreditation Processes (see "Accreditation")

 

  • The Service Standards will be amended to include the revised Core Standards and a new set of Core Values for Cycle 7

 

  • The long standing advisory group is currently chaired by Dr Diana Menzies, Consultant Psychiatist in Psychotherapy at the Henderson Hospital

 

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© 2011 Royal College of Psychiatrists